Ricky Gervais Must Host an Awards Show

A year ago, the day after last year’s mostly awful, N.P.H.-less Emmys, we begged Hollywood to let Ricky Gervais — by far the funniest part of that ceremony — host an awards show, maybe even the Oscars (this was before we knew Hugh Jackman was an option). And he was even reportedly asked about his availability by Oscar producers, but he turned them down because he was “scared,” claiming, “I don’t think I’d get the freedom I needed [as a host].” Still, he appeared again on last night’s Emmys, heroically enlivening the ceremony’s slow middle with a funny bit about the relative attractiveness of TV actors (“The thing about the Oscars is they’ve got film stars there, with their jawlines and chiseled looks, making me feel bad. But in this room, I’m probably above average … Steve Carell is considered handsome — think of that!”). It’s understandable, we guess, that he doesn’t want the pressure that comes with emceeing something as scrutinized and attractively attended as the Academy Awards. But now that Neil Patrick Harris has graduated to the Emmys, couldn’t Gervais at least host the Tonys? Click for video.